Validation of the “International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire – Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UISF)" for the Portuguese population

Introduction: Urinary incontinence can be considered a common condition associated with the aging process with extremely disabling symptoms, being two to three times more prevalent in women than in men. The use of validated instruments for the initial diagnosis of urinary incontinence is essential to obtain uniformity and systematization in the assessment of this condition. Objective: To adapt and validate the International Consultation Questionnaire Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI SF) for the Portuguese population. Methodology: Two independent translations of the ICIQ-UI SF were performed by Portuguese translators fluent in English. After harmonizing them, the resulting translation was independently back translated by two English translators fluent in Portuguese. The final version of the ICIQ-UI SF into Portuguese was applied to 90 users of the outpatient urology, urology and gynecology inpatient clinic of a hospital located in Gaia. The psychometric properties and reliability of the questionnaire were evaluated. Results: No changes to the original format of the ICIQ-UI SF were observed at the end of the instrument's translation and adaptation process. The average age of participants was 55 years. Internal consistency was high, as demonstrated by Cronbach's alpha coefficient (0.85). Pearson's coefficient for questions 3 and 4 was 0.88 and for questions 4 and 5 it was 0.82. The evaluation was considered satisfactory and statistically significant. Conclusion: The Portuguese version of the ICIQ-UI SF was successfully validated, making it possible to apply it to the Portuguese population with satisfactory reliability and construct validity.